Accra: West Africa's digital economy is booming, boasting over 120 million active internet users and a strong mobile-first approach to technology adoption. However, this rapid digital expansion has led to increased exposure to cyber threats, presenting a significant challenge to the region's economic and technological progress.
According to Ghana News Agency, Ghana, Nigeria, and C´te d'Ivoire experienced approximately $710 million in cyber-related financial losses over a two-year period. The threats facing the region are diverse, including phishing, mobile money fraud, cross-border malware, ransomware, and supply chain attacks on cloud infrastructure. A crucial solution gaining attention is Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) and cross-border information sharing, yet its adoption remains inconsistent and often under-resourced.
Mr. Eric Akwei, a seasoned Ghanaian IT professional and cybersecurity advocate, emphasized the shared nature of cybercrime in West Africa. He pointed out that attackers can quickly move across jurisdictions, whereas current systems are often confined within national borders. For instance, a phishing campaign originating in Lagos can affect businesses in Accra within hours. Akwei highlighted that countries like Ghana and Nigeria share interconnected digital ecosystems, underscoring the necessity for shared threat intelligence.
Addressing the state of incident response, Mr. Akwei noted that many institutions in Ghana and neighboring countries take over 72 hours to detect serious breaches, with full containment taking up to 20 days. He suggested that a shared CTI system, even if initially piloted among a few ECOWAS nations, could significantly reduce detection times, minimizing financial losses, reputational damage, and operational disruptions.
Mr. Akwei proposed establishing a West African Threat Intelligence Exchange Framework, a secure platform under ECOWAS to enable certified institutions to share anonymized threat data promptly. He stressed the importance of regional trust frameworks that respect national laws while allowing operational flexibility. However, he pointed out the lack of trained personnel as a major hurdle, with fewer than 15 percent of cybersecurity graduates in Ghana and Nigeria equipped to handle real-world threat intelligence feeds. To address this, he proposed a West African CTI Training Lab to offer short courses, certifications, and simulations.
Public-private collaboration is critical, according to Mr. Akwei, who emphasized that most data, traffic, and endpoints are managed by private organizations. He advocated for their integration into regional CTI efforts from the outset, including a tiered participation model allowing vetted industry stakeholders to contribute and benefit.
Moving beyond reactive strategies, Mr. Akwei proposed a research program to explore predictive threat intelligence in the West African context, utilizing AI and big data to forecast potential cyber threats. His academic contributions, including a peer-reviewed paper and a public-facing article, emphasize proactive defense strategies and the transformative role of AI in security infrastructure.
As the interview concluded, Mr. Akwei stressed that West Africa needs to adopt globally proven systems for collaborative defense against cyber threats. Alongside other regional experts like Dr. Albert Antwi-Boasiako, Prof. Kester Quist-Aphetsi, and Dr. Benjamin Yankson, they are building a foundation for regional cooperation and proactive cybersecurity, ensuring West Africa not only responds to cyber threats but anticipates and outmaneuvers them.
